@Herzy 25 July 2025

I Can’t Hate It, But I Can’t Accept It Either I'm really sad right now. I just want to let this all out — so here I am, pouring my thoughts and emotions. I truly love *I Love You Since 1892*. It’s one of those stories that became a part of my heart, and its author has always been my favorite. But right now, I can’t say I’m happy with her. The novel recently got an adaptation, and while that should’ve been a moment of celebration, it honestly just left me disappointed. Marlo Mortel and Janella Salvador have portrayed Juanito and Carmela — the story’s main characters — for nearly a decade. They were the faces of the book itself, even appearing on the covers and joining book signings. For us, the readers, they became the embodiment of the characters. So naturally, we looked forward to the day they'd bring them to life on screen. But that dream didn't happen. Destiny had other plans. I don’t want to hate the author. I know she fought for MarNella, but in the end, she's only the writer of the novel — not the scriptwriter or director. The moment she give the rights, she also gave the power to control the production to them. And as much as I try to understand, it still hurts. I know this adaptation was a dream come true for her, and I wish I could be happy for her. But part of me feels sad — especially when some fans start turning their backs on her because of this. I just wish the director chose more better. I have nothing against the new cast. In fact, I liked Heaven Peralejo and Jerome Ponce in the *University Series* adaptation. But for *I Love You Since 1892*, they just don’t feel right. I even tried to give them a chance — I watched the trailer — but it's not giving. It didn’t give the same magic, the same emotions we’ve all held onto for years. Maybe I would’ve been more open if they picked completely new faces instead of reusing actors from another Wattpad adaptation. But at the end of the day, what can we do? We have no power to change the cast or the decisions already made. So I’ve decided not to engage with the adaptation at all. I’ll just pretend it never happened. Maybe it’s a red flag to turn away, but it’s better than holding resentment. Still, despite my disappointment, I truly hope the actors give justice to the story — especially for those who haven’t read it. I want them to understand why this novel means so much to us. Why even when it hurts, we keep coming back to it.